Ignition-control device



Jan. 20, 1931.

.1. s. DYER IGNITION CONTROL. DEVICE Fiied July 8, 1929 @MMM Patented Jan. j20, 1931i I UNITED srairnsA PATENT orrica JOHN B. DYEB, F ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO DELCO-REMY CORPORATION, OE AN DEBSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE IGNITION-CONTROL DEVICE application mea my s, 192s; serial No. 876,605.

, This invention relates to improvements in ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines. f

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine of simple and compact design, adapted to be operated to control the time of sparking impulses for the engine in response to both variations in the speed and the engine suction and load conditions.

F'urther objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment ofone form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings: a V

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the ignition apparatus with the distributor head and rotor removed.

Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Certain parts of this view are shown in elevation for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and shows the speed governor mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 20 designates the housing for the ignition apparatus, said housing being cup-shaped and having a shank 21 which is adapted to itpinto an opening in the engine crank case to support the ignition apparatus upon the engine. A lug 22 Substantially in alignment with the shank portion 21 of the housing, ex-

tends into said housing, the lug and shank portions being hollow and providing a journal for the drive shaft 23. The one end of the drive shaft 23 is operatively connected with a rotatable part of the engine, preferably the cam shaft. which is not shown on the present drawings. The drive shaft has a flange 24 which engages a bearing washer 25 provided at the upper end of the lug 22.

' The portion of the drive shaft 23 extending above the flange 24 is of reduced diameter as shown on the dotted line portion designated by the numeral 26. Upon this reduced diameter portion 26 of the drive shaft there is.

rotatably supported a cam 27, the lower end of which is knurled as at 28.

' The drive shaft 23 is connected with a cam 27 by means which will vary the angular relatlon between these members in response to variations in speed of the shaft 23. This means comprises afplate 29 secured to the drive shaft 23 and carrying at diametrically opposite points posts 30 and 31 which pivotally support weight members 32 and 33 respectively. Each weight member has a pin 34 secured thereto adjacent the free end thereof, each pin extending'into an elongated slot 35 in the plate 29 whereby the range-of movement of the centrifugal weight members 32 and 33 is limited. Each weight member has a cam 'arm port-ion 36 adapted to engage a lever 37 which is securely attached to the knurled portion 28l of the cam 27. The centrifugal weight members 32 and 33 are yieldably maintained in their normal position, as shown in Fig. 3, by springs 40 and 41, the former being connected between posts 30 and 38, and the spring 41 between posts 31 and 39, said springs normally urging the lever 37 into the position as shown in Fig. 3, in which position the lever is exerting a pushing force against the faces of the cam arms 36 of the respective weights 32 and 33. A retainer plate 42 is secured to the. cam 27 in any suitable manner, said retainer plate substantially preventing the weightmembers 32 and 33 from sliding of their pivot posts 30 and 31 respectively.l The retainer plate 42 is locked in proper position by the post 39 on lever 37 which'extends into a notch 43 formed on said retainer plate.

lVhen there is no change in the speed of shaft 23 the weights 32, 33 remain in the same position with respect to the pivot posts se.l

tending through the housing and engagingsaid ears. A central aperture in the plate through which cam 27 extends, has an upturned annular fiange 53 providing a journal about which the rotatably adjustable plate 54 may be turned. Plate 54 supports the circuit interrupter of the ignition apparatus,

said interrupter comprising a stationary contact 55 and a movable contact 56. The

stationary contact 55 is carried on an angular ear 57 of bracket 58 which is pivotally supported upon a pin 59 carried by the plate 54. Bracket 58 has elongated slots 60 and 61, the former being substantially arcuate and concentric ofithe pin 59, the latter 61, having its longersides substantially radially of the pin 59. In the slot 61 there is provided a member 62 having a slot for receiving a screw-driver, said member having also an eccentric shank 63 rotatably anchored to the plate 50 so that when the member 62 is rotated in either direction it will engage the sides of the slot 61 to move the bracket 58 rotatably about the pivot pin 59 whereby said bracket is moved toward or away from the cam 27.

Pin 59 insulatingly and pivotally supports the breaker lever 65, at the free end of which is attached the movable contact 56 so that it may engage the stationary contact 55. A rubbing block 66 is secured to the breaker lever by a rivet 67, which rivet also secures one end of the spring conductor 68 to said breaker lever, the other` endl of said spring conductor being electrically connected with an upturned ear 69 of bracket 70 which is insulatingly carried upon the plate 54. Spring conductor 68 not only electrically connects the breaker lever 65 with the portion 69 of bracket 70, but it also yieldably urges the breaker lever 65 counterclockvvise so that the rubbing block 66 may be engaged b by the lobes of the cam 27 to disengage the contacts 56 and 55. The bracket 70 is electrically connected with a condenser 72 by a lead 73, one foil of the condenser being grounded to the plate 54 by the bracket 74 which supports the condenser upon said plate. Plate is electrically connected with a terminal 75 leading to the outside of the housing 20, but insulated from said housing, the connection between the bracket 70 and terminal 75 being in the form of a flexible conductor 76 whereby rotation of the plate 54 whichsupports bracket 70 will not m'a.

terially affect the electrical connection of the the plunger 84. Arm 79 is provided at the juncture vof the arms 81 and 82 as shown in Fig. 4, said arm 79 extends through a slot provided in the plate 50 and, as has been. mentioned before, is received by the notch 78 in plate 54.

The upper end of cam 27 is reduced at 87, said reduced portion receiving and supporting the distributor rotor 88. A dis `tributor head 89 is provided for the housing 20, and is held thereon in any suitable manner, preferably by clips 90 which are carried on the housing and are adapted to engage lugs provided on the distributor head 89. The distributorhead has a central high tension terminal 91 which is in electrical connection with a conductor strip 92 supported on the rotor 88 through the spring supporting button 93 attached to strip 92 and the carbon brush 94 attached to terminal 91. A plurality of high tension terminals 95 are arranged on the distributor head in a circular row, each terminal -95 having a post 96 extending downwardly into the head. Vhen vrotated, the rotor 88 moves the conductor strip 92 into close proximity to each of the posts 96 whereby sparking impulses are directed from the terminal 91 through the brush 94 and button 93, conductor strip 92 to the various posts' 96 inrecurrent sequence.

The suction controlled apparatus for autochamber unit made up of two cup-shapedV discs 100 and 101, the disc 100 having a substantially flat peripheral flange 102, and the disc 101 an angular'fiange 103 adapted to e spun around the flange 102 for assembling the two discs 'together to form the suction chamber unit. phragm 105, made of any suitable flexible material such as varnished airplane linen and the like, have their. peripheral edges clamped Within the angular flange portion 103 of disc 101, together with the flange 102 of disc. 100. Disc 100 has a centra-l opening surrounded by an annular fiange 106 forming a bearing which slidably supports the A gasket 104 and a dia-v plunger 84 so as to prevent withdrawal of the plunger from the annular bearing 106. The reduced portion of said plunger extends through a. central opening in the diaphragm 105 and a washer 108 which is secured to the reduced end portion of plunger 84 by riveting whereby the diaphragm is clamped tightly between the washers 107 and e 108. Disc 101 has a central aperture which supports the l coupling 110 interiorly screwthreaded for receiving the nippleA 111 which has a. longitudinal recess, the inner portion of which, designated by the numeral 112, is of greater dimensions than the diameterof the outer passage designated by the numeral 118. A shoulder 114 is thus formed on the interior of the nipple 111 and provides an abutment for one Lend of. the spring 115, the other end of the spring engaging the washer 108. The spring 115 normally urges the diaphragm 105 toward the disc 100, as shown in the Fig. 2. Passage 113 ofthe nipple 111 is adapte-d to be placed in communication with the suction chamber of the engine in any suitable manner.

The present device provides for automatic adjustment of the ignition apparatus to vary the time of sparking impulses for the engine in accordance with both speed variations and suction andload variations in the engine. If the speed of the engine increases or decreases,

speedM responsive device, weights 32 and 33, will become effective to advance or retard the spark response to adi just the time of' sparking impulsesfor most effective operation.

If during engine operation, the intake suction of the engine should increase beyond a certain value` the diaphragm 105 will be moved against the effect of spring 115 to slidably move plunger 84 toward the disc '101. thus the bar 80 will be moved substantially in aplane parallel to the plate 54. Movement of arm 79 will rotate the plate 54 clockwise and the circuit interrupter supported thereon will likewise be rotated clockwise. Inasmuch as the cani 27 is rotating counter-clockwise, clockwise rotation of the interrupter Wil-l advance the time of sparking impulses, the advance being in accordance with the degree of movement ofthe plunger 84 by the engine suction. Reduction in the suction of the engine will permit` `spring 115 to move the plunger 84 toward the left or away from disc 101 and' thus bar 80 with its arm 79 will rotate the plate 5l in the direction of rotation-of the cam 27, thereby retarding the spark, the degree of retardation being inaccordance with the drop in engine suction.

The arm 79 engages plate 54 in such a manner that lever or bar operates upon including said plate 54 at the maximum distance from its center of rotation. This will rende'rlthe suction control mechanism substantially less sensitive to friction and thus a more efiicient, automatic'control of the time of sparking impulses is obtained.

This ignition device comprises a housing having three unitary structures as, the` circuit interrupter, the speed responsive device and the suction responsive device. In assembling, the suction responsive device must first be placed in proper position inthe housing, then the'speed responsive device, which includes the cam, is placed in the housing, and last the interrupter supporting plate which prevents removal of the two first mentioned units. The distributor head 89 is the last member to be placed upon theV ignition device when assembling.

' lVhile the form of' embodiment of' the present invention, as herein disclosed, constitutes .l

a preferred fornnit is to be understood that other forms mightv be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Anignition control device for internal combustion engines comprising, a rotatable cam; a circuit interrupter supporting plate rotatably adjustable about the axis of the cam; engine suction controlled means, operable n a line radial of the cam,` and a V- shaped lever, one end of which is connected to the engine suction controlled means, the apex of said V-shaped lever being attached to the plate at its peripheral edge, whereby said plate is rotated in response to variations in engine suction.

2. An ignition control'device for an internal combustion'engi'ne comprising, in combination, a housing; a rotatable cam in said housing; a circuit interrupter supporting plate in said housing, rotatably adjustable about the axis of the cam ;I mechanism adapted to be operated by variations in engine suc-` tion, supported by the housing beneath the said plate, said mechanism having a. member A movable radially of the cam; and means suplll() ported by said member and the housing and engaging the interrupter supporting-p14 ate at its peripheral edge, whereby linear moveinent 1 l5 radial of the Cam, said plungeixbeing beneath the speed responsive device; and a bar attached to the plunger and supported thereby and by the housing, said bar having an oset arm extending therefrom, past the speed relsponsive device and engaging the interrupter suppm'ting plate at its peripheral edge, whereby recipro lative movement of the plunger is transmitted to said plate rotatably to adjust it.

4. An ignition control device for an internal combustion engine comprising,in combination` a housing; a rotatable cam in said housing; a circuit interrupter supporting plate in said housing, rotatably adjustable about the axis of the cam; a speed responsive device in the housing, beneath the said plate, adapted in response to variations in engine speed to adjust the cam relative to said plate; engine suction controlled apparatus supported by the housing beneath the said plate, said apparatus having a plunger movable in a line radial ofthe cam, said plunger being beneath the speed governor device; and a V-shaped bar having two arms, one attached to the plunger, the other being slidably supported hy the housing, said V shaped bar having an angular member extending from the juncture ot the two arms, past theA speed responsive device and engaging the int-errupter supporting plate at its peripheral edge, whereby reciprocative movement of sai-d bar will rotate said plate.

.5. An ignition device for an internal combustion engine comprising, in combination, a housing, a unitary circuit interrupter; a rotatable plate carrying a part of the circuit 1 interruptor and removably secured Within the housing; a speed responsive device adapted to vary the operation of the circuit interrupter in accordance with the speed of the engine, said speed responsive device being removable trom theI housing after removal of the circuit interrupter; engine suction operated mechanism supported by the housing; and a V- shaped lever, one end of which is attached to the said mechanism, the otherbeing supported by the housing, and the apeX portion of the lever being securedto the plate, said lever, when moved by the suction operated mechanism being adapted to adjust the circuit interrupter in response to variations in engine suction. said mechanism, including the lever, hcing removable as a unit after removal of the speed governor.

An ignition device for an internal combustion engine comprising, in combination, a housing, a cam in said housing; a circuit interruptor supporting plate in said housing. rotatably adjustable about Ithe axis of the cam; a suction chamber device mounted in an opening in the housing so as to provide a cover therefor; a diaplfnagm in said chamber; 'aplunger slidably carried by said device and secured to the diaphragm, said plunger being arranged radially of the cam;

' a stud slidably supported by the housing signature.

JOHN B. DYER. 

